Universal drawer slide



5913i 27, 1966 F. HlLLsoN ETAL UNIVERSAL DRAWER SLIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 4, 1964v Vl. NK www W MLN QM Wip m K ,NIH m KN Nm AU m@ \L SePt- 27,` 1966 F. HlLLsoN ETAL 3,275,396

UNIVERSAL DRAWER SLIDE Filed Aug. 4, 1964 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK H/LLSo/v ,Que/N KRW/Ky QM QM United States Patent O 3,275,396 UNIVERSAL DRAWER SLIDE Frank Hillson, 48 Brentwood Drive, Verona, NJ., and Rubin Krivisky, 4 Sherman Drive,ASpring Valley, N. Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,376 3 Claims. Cl. S12- 341) Our invention relates to drawer' slides generally and specifically to a universal drawerslide mountable in the three planesof space.

A wide variety of well knownV drawer slides comprise generally a rail slidably engaged to a channeled track. Usually the channeled -t'rack is secured to a cabinet frame into which the drawer seats; the channeled track lying parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer. The rail is mounted tothe track on the drawer and is generally parallel thereto.

Known drawer slides must lfrequently be fa'bricated specifically for either the right or the left side of the drawer. Obviously, this increases costs of manufacturing. In addition, it is becoming more desirable to position the drawer slide on the underside of a structural member such as a countertop, vanity :top Iand the like, rather than fasten the track to the cabinet frame along the side of the drawer.

It is also becoming more desirable to mount such a cooperative channeled track and rail beneath the drawer itself, securing the channeled track to a member of the cabinet frame extending either parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer or to a member extending perpendicular thereto.

Today, known channeled tracks are mounted to members of the cabinet frame lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the side of the drawer by passing screws through holes in the back of the track. However, such fastening means cannot be employed when the back of the track does not lie against the cabinet member. Moreover, in many situations the ca'binet fra-me member lying parallel to the lback of the channeled back is inaccessible and, therefore, it is more desirable to approach the frame member from a direction facing the end of la track or the top and bottom thereof. No known channeled tracks can be mounted in all three planes of space as aforesaid. Rather, each must be particularly `falbricated for its particular fashion of mounting.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of our invention to provide a universal drawer slide which may be mounted to cabinet frame members lying in a plane parallel to the back thereof as well as in a plane lying perpendicular to lthe back thereof either above or beneath the track or lying in a plane parallel to the end of the track.

Another object lof our invention is to provide a universal drawer slide which may be mounted to cabinet frame members extending in all three planes of space, the track being secured to either one or two of such planes simultaneously.

A further object of our invention is to provide a universal drawer slide mountable beneath a cabinet frame memiber parallel to the plane lof the drawer and perpendicular to -the plane of the back of the slide, the slide being positioned on Iboth sides of the drawer parallel to its direction of movement.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a universal drawer yslide :having an angular mounting member pivotally mounted on rthe back of the channeled track, the mounting member being rotatable about 360 parallel to the said back.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects land advantages maybe achieved by our invention an embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

Patented Sept. 27, 1966 ice FIGURE l is aside elevational view of a typical channeled track having our angular mounting members pivotally engaged thereto; the dotted portions of the drawing illustratin-g the mounting memlbers in different positions;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the channeled track illustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 yis an end elevational view of a channeled track having our angular mounting member pivotally mounted thereto showing a complementary rail engaged thereto;

FIGURE 4 is `a View in perspective of our channeled track mounted beneath a countertop suspending a drawer thereunder;

FIGURE 5 isa view in perspective showing our channeled track mounted to a cabinet frame member positioned beneath but generally parallel to the 'plane of the back of the track;

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective of our channeled track mounted to a cabinet frame member positioned above Vand generally parallel to the plane of the back of the track;

FIGURE 7 is a view inperspe'ctive of our channeled track mounted to a cabinet yframe member extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of our channeled track.

Referring now to the drawings in det-ail, our invention comprises a channeled track 11 having a generally conventional form. The channeled track comprises a generally elongated rectangular, fiat back 12 having a pair yof offset members 13 and 14 on the top and bottom thereof respectively. Formed integral with the top member 13 on the side opposite the lback 12 is an externally convex rib 15. Similarly formed on the bottom member 14 opposite the back 12 is an opposed externally convex rib 16.

A rail 17 is slide'ably engaged to the channeled track 11 as is illustrated in FIGURE 3. The rail 17 comprises a generally rectangular, flat back 18 having formed on the top and bottom thereof a :pair of externally concave arcuate ribs 19 and 20. A ball bearing carrier (not illustrated) is seated within the channeled track 11 supporting ball 1bearings 21, 21 between the respective arcuate ribs 15, 19, 20 and 16.

The channeled track Iand rail as aforedescribed is of a conventional design and is not critical to our invention.

A pair of mounting members are pivotally mounted to the back 12 of the channeled track 11. The pivotal mounting member 22 is generally L-shaped having a back member 23 and a flange 24. The back member 23 is pivotally engaged to the back 12 of the channeled track 11 by a rivet 25 extending therethrough. The flange 24 of the mounting member 22 is provided with two circular openings 26, 26 and an elongated slot 27 located therebetween.

FIGURE 1 illustrates in broken lines two additional positions that the mounting members 22 may Iassume. On the left, the mounting member has lbeen rotated so that the fiange 24 is -positioned above the track 11 whereas on the right hand side on that figure, the ange 24 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis -of the track 11. It `should be noted that the flange 24 when parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track 11 lies beneath the lowermost extension of the arcuate rib 16 or -above the upperrnost extension of the aren-ate rib 15.

In FIGURE 4, a typical mounting for a vanity drawer is illustrated. The respective ,mounts are pivoted until the flange 24 lies parallel to the longitudinal -axis of the track 11 extending above the top rib 15. The flange 24 is then secured to the 'bottom of the Vanity cabinet 28 by means of screws yor the like. The drawer 29 is thus mounted beneath the vanity top 28. Of course, as is illustrated, two opposed tracks are employed and the rails 17 are mounted to the sides 30, 30 of the drawer 29.

FIGURE 7 illustrates still another` mounting technique wherein the mounting member 22 is orientedt 90 to the longitudinal axis of the channeled track 11 being secured to a cabinet fr ame member 33 which extends perpendicular to lthe longitudinal axis ofthe track 11. Of course, the

V(b) at least one mounting member engaged to the track,

(c) a back member on the mounting member pivotally engaged to the ltrack,

(d) a tlange on the back member, and

(e) the plane of the flange extending above one of the edges-of the channelled track when the said plane of the ilange is parallel to` lthe longitudinal axis of the track.l

2. A universal drawer slide comprising:

(a) a channelled track and complementary rail, the

track having a pair of longitudinal edges,

(b) at least one moun-ting member engaged to the track,

(c) a back member on the mounting memlber pivotally engaged to the track fand rotatable about 360 degrees,

(d) a ange on the mounting member extending away from the track, and

(e) the plane of the flange extending above one of the l edges of the channelled track when the said plane of the il-ange is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the l track. 3. A universal drawer slide comprising: (a) a channelled track and complementary rail,.the

track having a lgenerally at Iback joining a pair'oi-` longitudinal edges,

(b) at least one mounting memberengaged to the track,

(c) a back member on Vthe mounting 'member pivotally engaged to the track yand rotatable about 360 degrees, Y Y

(d) a flange on the mounting -memberfgenerally perpendicularto the backof the track extending in a di-` rection away therefrom, and

(e) the -plane of the flange extending above one of the edges of the channelled track when the said plane of the ange is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the I track.

References Cited bywtlle Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,852,329

25 CLAUDE A. LEROY, Primary Examiner.

9/1958 Smith 3l2`351 

1. A UNIVERSAL DRAWER SLIDE COMPRISING: (A) A CHANNELED TRACK AND COMPLEMENTARY RAIL, THE TRACK HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL EDGES, (B) AT LEAST ONE MOUNTING MEMBER ENGAGED TO THE TRACK, (C) A BACK MEMBER ON THE MOUNTING MEMBER PIVOTALLY ENGAGED TO THE TRACK, (D) A FLANGE ON THE BACK MEMBER, AND (E) THE PLANE OF THE FLANGE EXTENDING ABOVE ONE OF THE EDGES OF THE CHANNELLED TRACK WHEN THE SAID PLANE OF THE FLANGE IS PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TRACK. 